van slyke



(No Modell.) 2 sheets-Sheet 1. A. VAN SLYKE. CHAIR.

N0. 433,836, Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

(No Model.) 2.Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. VAN SLYKE. GHAIR.

No. 438,836. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

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UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER VAN SLYKE, OF FORT PLAIN, NEX/V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELEANOR EHLE, OF SAME PLACE, AND VALTER LIPE, OF .NEW

YORK, N. Y.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,836, dated-.August 5, 1890. Application filed February l1, 1890. Serial No. 339,991. (No model.)

.To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER VAN SLYKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Plain, in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Chairs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. Y

This invention relates to convertible rocking and reclining chairs.

The invention comprises a platform rocking-chair, the bottom of the seat portion of which is adapted to rest and rock upon a stationary platform, the back of the chair being hinged to the seat and provided with arms, which are adj ustably connected at their forward ends to the seat portion by a peculiar and novel catch,vwhereby the rocking-chair may be converted into a reclining chair. The chair is also provided with a-movable foot-rest.

The invention consists in a chair constructed and arranged substantially as I will proceed now to set forth, and particularly claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a perspective view of the chair. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the serrated plate of the catch. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of the catch complete; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one side of the chair, taken in the plane of line Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section. Fig. 6 is abottom plan view of the foot-rest detached and unfolded, and Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section of the said foot-rest folded.

The base or platform of the chair is composed of side pieces a, which are unit-ed by rungs or stretchers b, provided, if desired, with casters o at front and with flat feet CZ at rear. These side pieces are curved on their upper surfaces to form rockers, upon which the seat e rocks. The bottom of the seat is made with flat rails f, which are fitted to the I sides c in any suitable manner-as, for example, by rounding the upper surfaces of the sides and grooving the adjacent surfaces of the rails f. Any suitable device may be used for connecting the seat to the platform-as,

. for example, the ordinary springs in common use. The invention, however, is not limited to the construction of the rocking just described.

The back g of the chair is hinged at z. to the seat. Armsz' are pivoted at 2 to the back, each of which is made as an integer by preference. Oatchesj are employed to connect the armswiththe seat at the lower-forward portions of the arms. Each catch is constructed substantiallyas follows, (see Figs. 2L

and 3:) A tubular sleeve la is inserted in a hole in the arm and secured therein by means of the flange Z, having screw-holes in it. A telescoping sleeve m, similarly flanged, is inserted from underneath the arm and projected upwardly intothe sleeve 7c. These telescoping sleeves provide for the application of the catch to arms of different vertical thickness. A coiled spring n is arranged within the sleeve and surrounds a bolt o, and is made fast to one end of said bolt, so as to normally throw the bolt upwardly. The lower end of the bolt is made with a crosshead p, and the upper end is adapted to receive a thumb piece or button q. The crosshead p is arranged outside of the lower sleeve m.

In the frame of the seat is arranged a catchplate r, having a series of teeth s pointing downwardly, and these teeth are normally engaged by the cross-head1). By depressing the portionsl bolt the cross-head is disengaged from the Y teeth, and thus the arms of the chair, and con# sequently the back, are free to be adjusted to change the inclination of the back. As soon as pressure upon the bolt isreleased its spring n carries the cross-head p back into engagement with the serrated plate r. It will be noticed that by the employment of this sort of catch the arms of the chair need not be divided, and hence their symmetry is preserved and the operation of inclining the back greatly facilitated.

A foot-rest of suitable construction is applied to the chair, and the preferred form of foot-rest consists of a rest orboard t', suitably upholstered, if desired, and provided with ratchet-faced lugs t2 at one end', which form halves of hinges, by which the rest is adjust- IOC) ably secured to the chair. The other halves of these hinges are made as rails u, which terminate in ratchet-faces o to match and register with the ratchet-faced lugs t2 t2, the two pairs of hinges being connected by a spring-bolt w,

'which may be passed freely through the parts 'v' U and be Xed to the parts t2 t2, so that when moved longitudinally the said rod will move the parts t2 t2 from the parts e that is to say, separate their teethand thereby permit the movement of the board or rest t in a direction opposed to the engaging faces of the ratchet-teeth, so as to admit of the adjustment of the board or rest in a direction upward, as indicated by arrow 3, or downward and backward, as indicated by arrow 4 in Fig. 5, the release of the spring-bolt enabling it to return automatically the ratchet-faces into engagement to lock and hold the rest in the adjusted position. The spring-bolt w, however, need not be fixed to the parts t2 t2, but

may pass freely through them, and pressur` upon the rest or board may be exerted to separate the parts t2 t2 and o o for purposes of adjustment.

The rails QJ v are fitted to slide longitudi- Anally in guides 'U2 o2, which are fixed to the having ears t4, by which to secure them with screws or other fastenings to the board or rest t,and these bars serve also to batten or brace the rest or board.

l. A chair having a seat and base, .a back pivoted to the seat, arms pivoted to the back, and catches interposed between the arms and the seat and composed of telescoping sleeves` tted to the arms, spring-bolts arranged in said sleeves, and serrated plates arranged in the seat and adapted to be engaged by the bolts to permit the adjustment of the back, substantially as described.

2. A foot-rest for chairs, consisting of arest orboard having ratchet-faced hinge members, combined with rails adapted to be tted to the chair-bottom and provided with counterparts of the said ratchet-faced hinge members, and a spring-bolt connecting the several ratchet-faced members in pairs and normally holding them in engagement and permitting their ready disengagement, substantially as described.

3. A board or rest provided with ratchetfaced hinge members, combined with complemental ratchet-faced hinge members having rails fitted to slide beneath the chair and a spring-bolt uniting the hinge members in pairs and providing for the adjustment of the board or rest, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof` I have hereunto set my hand this 5th dayof February, AD. 1890.

' ALEXANDER VAN SLYKE. Witnesses:

NICHOLAS CRANKER, J oHN FINEOM, Jr. 

